TikTok says it “will be forced to go dark on January 19” in the United States unless the Biden administration assures service providers that it will not enforce a law banning the Chinese-owned social media app that was upheld by the US supreme court on Friday.
The nine justices voted unanimously in a decision that sides with the majority of the US Congress and the US Department of Justice that the hugely popular social media app is a threat to US national security.
TikTok initially responded to the ruling by posting a video featuring the CEO, Shou Zi Chew, to its official account. “On behalf of everyone at TikTok and all our users across the country, I want to thank President Trump for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States,” Chew said. Donald Trump has pledged to “save TikTok”.
Chew said Trump’s promise “is a strong stand for the first amendment and against arbitrary censorship” and that he was “grateful and pleased to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform”.
In a statement released late on Friday, TikTok said that vague assurances from the Biden administration that it would leave enforcement to the incoming Trump administration were not good enough.
“The statements issued today by both the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance” to companies such as Apple and Google, which make the app available to Americans and could be liable for billions of dollars in fines under the law.
exploring an executive order to halt the ban for 60 to 90 days.
Joe Biden’s press secretary said in a statement that the president’s position on TikTok “has been clear for months” – that TikTok should be available to people backed by an owner that doesn’t pose a security threat.
“TikTok should remain available to Americans, but simply under American ownership or other ownership that addresses the national security concerns identified by Congress in developing this law,” she said. “Given the sheer fact of timing, this Administration recognizes that actions to implement the law simply must fall to the next Administration, which takes office on Monday.”
Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in his concurring opinion that “what might happen next to TikTok remains unclear”, alluding to the possibility that Trump might not enforce the ban.
Gorsuch expressed reservations with the law, though he voted to uphold it. (The Guardian)
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